Opinion: Government funding should not be held hostage by policy disagreement on DACA

by Boris Epshteyn, Chief Political Analyst

(Sinclair Broadcast Group)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Boris Epshteyn formerly served as a Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign and served in the White House as Special Assistant to The President and Assistant Communications Director for Surrogate Operations.

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - Looks like the big meeting at the White House will happen after all. Last week, the Democrat minority leaders of the House and the Senate attempted a public relations gambit when they turned down the president’s invitation to discuss pressing year-end items. The biggest key, funding the government beyond the deadline of December 8th.

The reason given for the Democrats not heading down to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. was the president’s tweet expressing skepticism that a deal is possible which includes both government funding and a resolution on DACA. Now, they are willing to talk it out.

Why would making sure that the federal government has money to operate and pay millions of employees be connected with figuring out what to do about 800,000 illegal immigrants? It shouldn’t be. Democrats, however, have decided to hold government funding hostage in order to try and force a solution they want on DACA.

Here is the bottom line: we all know the federal government will be funded sooner or later. When Chuck and Nancy meet with the president they should bypass grandstanding, and go right to making a deal as they did in early September. Putting a federal budget in place should not be held up by a policy disagreement over illegal immigration.